AAP to scale up demonetisation protests across states

Congress to gherao parliament on Friday

Scaling up its protests over the demonetisation issue, the AAP will expose PM Modi's claims of targeting black money across the country.

Not to be left behind, the Congress too would gherao the parliament on Friday. Already its youth volunteers are helping out the people who are queuing up outside banks and ATMs to withdraw money. While AAP has limited strength in the parliament, the Congress said it won't allow parliament to function till Modi explained his anti-people move.

After Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal along with his West Bengal counterpart Mamata Banerjee dared PM Modi to roll back the demonetisation order in three days, the AAP's political affairs committee met at Kejriwal's residence to plan the future course of action.

According to AAP sources, the people suffering due to the demonetisation order were angry and coming out in protest. As a political party with presence across many states, the AAP leaders said they will fight for the people.

AAP leaders said they will take the proof of Modi's bribe issue raised by Kejriwal recently, to households across the country.

The AAP will also highlight how the demonetisation move is eating into the savings of the common man and how the Modi government was benefitting certain corporates using taxpayer's money. Further, they will tell people how the restrictions imposed by the centre on withdrawal of money was against the sovereign guarantee given by the RBI on every currency note.

In a hard-hitting attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Kejriwal alleged that demonetisation was the "biggest scam" in Independent India, while Banerjee said the PM should not run the country through "dictatorship" and that such a "crisis" was not seen even during Emergency.

Addressing traders at Azadpur Mandi, Asia's largest vegetable and fruit market, both Kejriwal and Banerjee singularly targeted the Prime Minister accusing him of unleashing "pain" on the common man in the name of unearthing black money.

The two leaders later held a demonstration outside Reserve Bank of India on Parliament Street and demanded that the central bank tells them about the availability of currency.

"Black money is flooding the market again. Notes are being home-delivered to some people. This is independent India's biggest scam. The government wants to amass Rs 10 lakh crore by forcing the people to deposit their money in banks and use that amount to writing off loans of Modiji's friends.

"The government must roll back the demonetisation decision in three days. Otherwise, there will be a revolt. Modiji had silently sent Vijay Mallya, who has huge debt, to London one night. But he has also brought people to the streets who are queuing up for hours," he said.

In her address, Banerjee also asked the government to withdraw the demonetisation decision in three days.

"We support the fight against black money but the poor and the less privileged should not suffer. We will not stay silent. And, if it is not done (withdrawn) in three days, then countrymen will not spare you," she said.

Kejriwal also took a dig at Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, wondering if he spent only Rs 2.5 lakh on his daughter's wedding recently.

"Modiji, do not fool people saying that standing in line is patriotism. Who is responsible for the death of 40 people standing in queues?," he said.

READ OUR FULL COVERAGE ON THE MODI GOVT'S DEMONETISATION MOVE